Circuit-controller.



No. 781,785. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905. L. PFINGST.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 4,1904.

UNITED STATES Patented February '7, 1905.

PATENT EEIcE.

LOUIS PFINGST, OF BOSTON, INIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PFINGST ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING- COMPANY, OF KITTERY, MAINE, A

CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,785, dated February '7, 1905.

Application filed April 4, 1904:. Serial No. 201,483.

To ul/ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs PFINGS'I, of Dorchester, Boston, in the county of Sutl'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Controllers. of which the following is a specification.

' My invention relates to electric-current controllers or switch-closing devices; and its object is to provide means whereby the current can be controlled from the arm of the brakehandle of a car or other vehicle.

Another object of my invention is the operation of the brakespindle by power or hand-power mechanism without closing the contact of the electric circuit to apply or release the brakes.

Another object of myinvention is to provide a portable loose-revolving handle mounted on the brake-spindle, by which said handle can be brought from any degree of the circle to a position opposite the terminal posts of the electric circuit without closing the circuit until the circuit-closing mechanism is operated, said mechanism being independent of the handle in its operation.

Another object is the operation of the circuit-closing mechanism from any position of the handle before it is brought to a position opposite the electric terminals, so that when rotating the loose handle the circuit-closing mechanism will immediately make its contact.

The apparatus consists of a brake-spindle for electrically-propelled vehicles a portable brake-handle revolving loosely thereon, circuit-closing mechanism mounted on the loose revolving brake-handle, a supporting frame or bracket suitably mounted on the car supporting electric conductors, and terminals suitably insulated therefrom and provided with mechanism to close the circuit from one terminal to the other by a pivotally-supported arm, the circuit-closing conductor being suitably insulated from the other parts of the handle and from the pivotally-supported circuit-closing arm.

My invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of the handle and circuit-closing mechanism, showing the spindle and the clutch mechanism in dotted lines on the hub of the brake-handle, the supporting-frame being partly in section to show the electric conductors and terminals and the insulation. Part of the circuit-closing arm is shown in section, showing the releasing-spring for breaking the cont-act. Fig. 2 is a plan of the carryingframe, showing the spindle, clutch member, and the handle-hub in section on the line X X, Fig. l, and showing in dotted lines the conductors and terminals and the circuit-closing conductor. Fig. 3 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow X, Fig. 1, showing the conductors and terminal post and the circuit-closing conductor in dotted lines, and showing part of the supporting-frame broken. Fig. l is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the clutch mechanism and the brake-handle.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A is the supporting-frame, in which the brake-spindle B is mounted. v

C and C" are the electric conductors, and l) I) are the insulated bushings.

E E are terminal posts, and A is the protecting-housing for the purpose of protecting the current-terminals.

F is the vertical part of the circuit-closing mechanism, and F is the horizontal arm of said circuit-closing mechanism, pivoted at F to the brackets F F on the brake-handle I-I.

Fitted fast to the spindle I3 is the lower ratchet clutch member (I, with which is adapted to cooperate the other ratchet clutch member, Cr, loosely revolving on the spindle B and surrounding said spindle and loose in the chamber H. The upper portion of the clutch member is provided with slots or kerfs C,

adapted to engage the lugs C in the chamber H of the handle H. The upper end of the spindle B is provided with a collar 0 against which the upper end of the spring C bears, while the lower end bears against the upper ratchet clutch member G and tends to hold the two in engagement. This ratchet brake-handle is not claimed in this application, but forms the subject-matter of a patent granted to me December 13, 1892, No. 487,768. From this construction it is obvious that the brake-hand 1e is loose revoluble on the brake-spindle without operating the spindle when the usual ratchet-wheel and dog are engaged to hold the spindle in the position to which it has been previously moved.

I is an annular groove in the collar C and in said groove I there is loosely fitted the pin I, which permits the revolution of the handle, at the same time holding allof the mechanism in its assembled position, which when removed allows the portable handle to be removed without in any way interfering with the clutch mechanism, and the handle can be replaced and operated without the use of such pin, the main purpose of which is to guard against accidental displacement of the handle.

F is a chamber formed in the horizontal arm of the circuit-closing switch to permit the housing of the coiled spring J, which bears against the brake-handle and the circuit-closing switch to keep the same from forming an electric contact.

H H are projecting brackets from the hub of the brake-handle H for the purpose of guiding the arm F in its movements.

K is a circuit-closing conductor suitably insulated at K from the rest of the apparatus and held in place by the rivets K The operation is as follows: The contactwire C is a positive wire, and when it is desired to carry the current to the apparatus the brake-handle is brought into proper relation opposite the electrical terminals E E, after which the operator operates the arm F, compressing the spring J, thereby throwing the lower arm F to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, which brings the circuitclosing conductor K in contact with the terminal posts E E, through which the current will flow from the post E, through the conductor K, to the post E, thence through the conductor C to the apparatus to be actuated. To open the circuit, the operator releases the handle F, thereby breaking the contact between the conductor K and the post E E, by which means the current ceases to flow and the apparatus becomes inoperative.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus-of the character described, a brake-spindle, a loose revoluble brake-handle carried by said spindle, clutch members supported on said spindle, and an electriccircuit-controller or switch for closing or breaking the circuit and supported by the brake-handle.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a brake-spindle, a loose revoluble brake-handle carried by said spindle, a loose clutch member supported on said spindle, and an electric circuit-controller or switch for closing or breaking the circuitand supported from said brake-handle.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting-frame for the electric conductors, a brake-spindle mounted in said frame, clutch members mounted on said spindle, a loose revoluble brake-handle mounted on said spindle, and an electric-actuated mechanism supported from said handle for closing or opening the electric circuit.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting-frame for the electric conductors, a brake-spindle mounted in said frame, clutch members mounted on said spindle, a loose revoluble brake-handle mounted on said spindle, and electric mechanism mounted on said handle for closing and opening the electric circuit.

5. In an apparatus of thecharacter described, a supporting-frame for the electric conductors, a brake-spindle mounted in said frame, clutch members mounted on said spindle, a loose revoluble brake-handle mounted on said spindle and housing said clutch members, and electric controller mechanism mounted on said handle and adapted to contact with the electric conductors for closing and opening the electric circuit.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a brake-spindle, a loose revoluble brake-handle mounted on said spindle, and an electric circuit-controller or switch for closing and opening the circuit and supported by the brake-handle.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a brake-spindle, a brake-handle mounted on said spindle, and an electric circuit-controller or switch mechanism for closing or opening the circuit and supported by the brake-handle.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a brakespindle, a brake-handle mounted on said spindle, and an electric circuit-controller or switch for closing or opening the circuit and mounted on said brake-handle.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting-frame, electric conductors supported therefrom, brake-spindle mounted in said supporting-frame, loose revoluble brake-handle mounted on said spindle and capable of being operated for the turning of the spindle, and an electric circuit-controller or switch mechanism for closing or opening the circuit and supported by the brake-handle.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a spindle, a handle mounted on said spindle, and an independently-operated circuit-controller orswitch forclosingor opening the circuit and mounted on said handle.

11. in an apparatus of the character described, a spindle, a loose revoluble handle mounted on said spindle,and an independen tlyoperated circuit-controller or switch for closing or opening the circuit and mounted on said handle.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a brake-spindle mounted in a frame on a car, a handle for said spindle supporting an actuating electriccurrent-controller mech- LOUIS PFINUST.

\Vit-ness es:

A. L. Mussna, E. L. IIARLOW. 

